Alistair vs Reid
Alistair and Reidcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alistair was ranked #246 and Reid #432 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Alistair was ranked #365 and Reid #418 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alistair was ranked #509 and Reid #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Alistair was ranked #517 and Reid #422 among boys in England and Wales.
Alistair and Reid over time
Alistair and Reid appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Alistair held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Reid in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Alistair reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Reid in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Longest-running competitions
Alistair and Reid were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #517 and #422.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Alistair held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Reid in 4.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #133 in 1996, Reid #422 in 2025.
The order changed in 2021: Reid moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #464 and #568; by 2021 that had become #592 and #543.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alistair #517, Reid #422.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Alistair | Reid |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alistair has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Reid.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Alistair
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #97 among boys in New Zealand in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1956–1964
Highest recorded position: #87 among boys in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1956–1964).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #517 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Reid
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1040 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2010–2024
Highest recorded position: #339 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2010 (recorded 2010–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #422 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys